*4.1. Materials*

Fresh and homogeneously sized figs (*Ficus carica*), free from physical and microbial damage, were procured from a local market in Basrah, Iraq in July 2020. The fruits were chosen based on their size, maturity stage, color, and the absence of visible defects, and they were transported in refrigerated containers to the laboratories of the Department of Food Sciences of the College of Agriculture at the University of Basrah. Fresh *Aloe vera* (*Aloe barbadensis* Miller) leaves were collected from a local orchard in Basrah city, Iraq.
